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Trial
| season = 2 | number = 4 | image = File:Trial Title Card.png | imagewidth = 250 | airdate = May 16, 1994 | director = Dan Riba | writer = | story = Paul Dini Bruce Timm | teleplay = Paul Dini | music = Harvey Cohen | previous1 = Avatar | next1 = Harlequinade | previous2 = A Bullet for Bullock | next2 = Avatar }} Trial is an episode of the second season of Batman: The Animated Series. This episode is notable for featuring the most villains in any episode of the show. "Trial" was the 68th produced episode overall and the third episode produced in the second season. Synopsis Gotham's deadliest criminals, The Joker, Two-Face, Mad Hatter, The Ventriloquist, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy among many others, kidnap Batman and put him on trial in Arkham Asylum. The Dark Knight's only hope rests with District Attorney Janet Van Dorn who, despite her anti-Batman stance, is forced to defend the Caped Crusader's life as well as her own. Plot At Gotham's courthouse, Poison Ivy stands on trial and is sent back to Arkham Asylum since she was captured by Batman and not by an official law enforcer. D.A. Janet Van Dorn is upset at the outcome because she wanted Ivy to be sentenced to life in prison, and she blames it all on Batman. Upon arriving at Arkham, Ivy meets Harley, who tells her that they're about to start something big in the asylum and just as she says that, two guards appear in front of them with some strange cards on their hats. They're being mindcontrolled by The Mad Hatter. At the Gotham City Police Department, Van Dorn tells Commissioner Gordon how she feels about Batman right before the vigilante enters the room with news about a new criminal gang. Van Dorn informs him that her team is working on the case already and Batman shows her that he has already captured the leader. Even angrier at Batman, Van Dorn pick up a Batarang, put it in her pocket and warns Batman that she would start a crusade against him if necessary. A few hours later, Janet goes on a date with Bruce Wayne and they meet in a fancy restaurant. They start discussing the Batman issue and Bruce tries to change her mind about it, but they're interrupted by an important call from Janet's office. She goes to answer the call, but after half an hour later, she doesn't come back and Bruce starts worrying about her. Things only get worse when the Batsignal is lit in the sky. Back at the GCPD HQ, Gordon gives Batman a note telling him to go alone at the Gotham Courthouse. Moments later, Batman goes to the arranged place and he notices a dark figure hiding in the shadows. He tackles the person but he just smashes the statue of justice, which was moved and disguised in a trenchcoat. Poison Ivy uses her crossbow to attack Batman from behind and when he starts feeling weak Harley attacks him. Batman tries to fight back, but his strength is leaving him and he finds it difficult to fight them. He tries to use a device but Harley kicks it out of his hands and soon he faints as the two ladies approach him. Janet is being held in a cell of some sort of prison and she demands to be set free. Suddenly, Two-Face enters the cell revealing to Janet that she is in Arkham and then Batman is taken inside, carried by Killer Croc and in a straightjacket. Two-Face tells them that Batman is going to be on a trial in Arkham and that Janet is going to defend him if they want to survive. Soon, they're taken to the main hall where the trial is being held and The Ventriloquist, acting as bailiff along with Scarface, introduces the prosecutor, Two-Face; the accused, Batman; the defense attorney, Janet and the jury : Killer Croc, Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Scarecrow and The Riddler. Lastly, the judge Joker is introduced. One by one, the members of the jury are called to testify and Van Dorne does her best to prove that they are criminals because of their own twisted minds and not because Batman caused them to turn into criminals. Each one of them fall short and all the evidence shows that in fact, they would have turned into criminals one way or another. In the end, Van Dorne concludes that Batman didn't create them, but instead it happened the other way around. At that moment, Commissioner Gordon goes to the courthouse to check out if Batman is right. Upon arriving, he finds nothing except the device that Harley kicked out of Batman's hands. With Renee Montoya's help, Gordon repairs the device and a small screen appears on it. A small signal is coming from Batman's possible current location: Arkham Asylum. After hearing all the testimonies, the jury comes to the conclusion that Batman is not guilty of making them the way they are, which amazes Batman and Janet. Joker congratulates Janet for successfully defending Batman, but reveals that since they are already crazy by themselves, they might as well kill the two of them after all. The Arkham inmates take Janet and Batman to a dark cell, where they put Batman on a security bed and tie him to it. Joker walks towards him and before eliminating them, he wants to take off the cowl from Batman to know the identity of the man behind the bat. Janet remembers that she kept the batarang with her the whole time and tosses it to the only light bulb in the room, leaving it in complete darkness for a few seconds. Two-Face reaches for a lighter and they find out that Batman escaped from his shackles. In the dark, Batman starts taking them out one by one and he starts by pulling out Harley and tying her upside-down with the straightjacket. Then, he goes after Killer Croc and they start fighting in the dark. Joker takes the tommy gun from Scarface and starts shooting at Batmand and Croc, without noticing that he is also shooting an electric generator that shocks Croc and knocks him out. In the midst of the confusion, Batman grabs Janet and they try to escape the asylum, filled with lunatics and mind controlled orderlies. On their way out they come across Scarecrow and on the other end they are trapped by Ivy and Scarface. Batman manages to outrun them and he leads Janet as far as he can from the psychopaths. However, they find themselves trapped in a dead end hallway, forcing Batman to use his Graple Gun to get them to the rooftop from a skylight. The psychopaths are left cornered in the dead end and at that moment, the GCPD enters the building and captures all of them. Batman and Janet feel safe, but Joker, who is in the next roof, uses a rope to grab Batman and force him to drop along with him and they both are hanging from the same rope. Joker tries to smash Batman with the gavel but Batman manages to avoid Joker's attacks until he is able to deliver a strong kick to Joker's face, knocking the clown down. Batman takes the Joker to the roof and after that to the police down in the ground. After all the inmates are back on their cells, Janet Van Dorn admits that Batman is much needed in Gotham, but she warns him that she will still work for a city that doesn't need Batman. The Dark Knight simply replies that he would do that as well. Cast Category:Episodes Category:Season 2 Category:Directed by Dan Riba Category:Written by Paul Dini Category:Soundtrack by Harvey Cohen Category:Animation by Dong Yang Animation Category:Multiple Villains Episodes Category:Joker Episodes Category:Poison Ivy Episodes Category:Harley Quinn Episodes Category:Ventriloquist & Scarface Episodes Category:Killer Croc Episodes Category:Two-Face Episodes Category:Mad Hatter Episodes